Abhishek Kumar

Photo:
Assistant Research Scientist
Instructor

Contact info

Email:
ak68883@uga.edu
Phone Number:
7067159844
Research Interests:
  • Application of remote sensing (field, satellite, radar) and geospatial science in water resources, 
    mangrove forests, vegetation, and climate change studies.
  • Empirical, semi-analytical, quasi-analytical modelling and algorithm development.
  • Short-and long-term impact assessment of natural hazards on inland and coastal environment.
  • Application of Artificial Intelligence tools in the field of remote sensing and geospatial research. 
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ResearchGate
CV:
CV_Kumar_Feb2026.pdf (344.57 KB)

My research is focused on the use of multiple new and past satellite sensors towards developing remote sensing models for inland and coastal waters. My primary research interest is the applications of remote sensing and geospatial science in water resources, mangroves/forest/vegetation, and climate change studies.  

Over the past years at University of Georgia, I have been involved in several NASA and NSF projects that have utilized multi-platform remote sensing data toward aquatic, environmental, and natural resource management issues. My role in these projects was to develop remote sensing models, analyze data, and extract useful information and finally lead to write manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals. I also maintain the CyanoTRACKER social media platforms (https://twitter.com/cyanotracker) (https://www.facebook.com/cyanotracker) for this project, which is helpful to disseminate the timely information regarding CyanoHABs to the public and observe the broader impact of the project.

Education:
  • Ph.D. (May 2021): Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
  • M.Tech. (June 2014): Department of Mining Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
  • B. Tech. (July 2012): Electronics & Communication Engineering, Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Odisha, India
Grants:
  •  UGA Faculty Seed Grant (Science: $25,000) (07/01/2026 – 06/30/2027): Next-Generation Hyperspectral Sensors for AI-Powered Remote Sensing of Water Quality Monitoring and Cyanobacteria Risk Assessment. (Role: Principal Investigator)
  • International Research Collaboration Grant ($15,000) (07/01/2026 – 06/30/2027): Multi-Modal Remote Sensing for Water Quality Monitoring in India’s Largest Coastal Lagoon. (Role: Principal Investigator) 
  • NASA ($625,633) (07/01/2023 – 06/30/2026): Synoptic assessment and spatio-temporal 
    characterization of rapidly evolving CyanoHAB in large freshwater systems (Role: Writing the proposal).
  • National Park Service (NPS) ($60,000) (04/01/2023 – 09/30/2024): CESU-Remote sensing to 
    characterize threat of cyanobacterial blooms on Bull Sluice Lake within the CHAT watershed 
    (Role: Prepared preliminary satellite-based results).
  •  Georgia Water Resources Institute (GWRI) ($55,299) (03/01/2019 – 02/29/2020): Developing an 
    effective and targeted monitoring system for tracking harmful algal blooms across Georgia (Role: 
    Assisted in writing the proposal).
  • NASA DEVELOP (09/12/2016-04/01/2017): A multi-sensor approach to enhance the prediction 
    of mangrove biophysical characteristics in Chilika Lagoon and Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, 
    Odisha, India (Role: Assisted in writing the proposal).
     
Of note:
  • Darwin Teaching Fellowship-2021 ($4600): University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
  • Outstanding teaching assistant award-2021 (Recognition Award): University of Georgia, USA
  • AAG-2019 RSSG Student Illustrated Paper award (1st Place) ($300): AAG-2019, Washington, 
    DC.
  • Selected among 20 students worldwide for Ocean Optics training (Summer-2017), funded by 
    NASA.
  • DEVELOPers of the term (Recognition Award): NASA DEVELOP (Fall-2017) among 102 
    participants.
  • Best Poster Presentation Award (Recognition Award): National Symposium on Tropical 
    Meteorology: Climate Change and Coastal Vulnerability. Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, December 
    18-21, 2016.
  • Institute Silver Medal (Recognition Award) for being Topper of Master’s batch (2012-14), 
    National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India (2014).
Courses Regularly Taught:
GEOG 4/6460
Selected Publications:

31) Kumar, Abhishek; Maniyar, Chintan B.; Tesfayi, Nathan; Grunert, Brice K.; Fiorentino, Isabella R.; Herweck, Kendra; Hyland, Emily; Liu, Bingqing; Bartelme, Bradley; Mishra, Deepak R. (2026). Advancing CyanoHAB monitoring with hyperspectral data from NASA PACE: First results and validation. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 146, 105032. DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2025.105032

30) Shrestha, Shiwani; Liu, Bingqing; Li, Jiang; Huang, Wei; Baustian, Melissa Millman; D'Sa, Eurico J.; Bargu, Sibel; Messina, Francesca; Georgiou, Ioannis Y.; Kumar, Abhishek; Freeman, Angelina; Mize, Scott. (2026). Phytoplankton biomass dynamics in wet (2019) and dry (2023) years in Lake Pontchartrain estuary, Louisiana from Sentinel 2-MSI and PACE-OCI observations. Science of the Total Environment, 1011, 181126. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181126

29) Maniyar, Chintan B.; Raviprakash, Keshav; Kumar, Abhishek; Seferian, Mark A.; Fiorentino, Isabella R.; Mishra, Deepak R. (2025). Low-Cost System to Support and Expand Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring with New-Generation Ocean Color Satellites. ACS ES&T Water, 5(11), 6246-6257. DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.5c00301

28) Joshi, Ishan D.; Kumar, Abhishek; Singh, Sambit; Raulo, Susmita; Acharyya, Tamoghna; Mishra, Deepak R. (2025). A remote sensing algorithmic framework for characterizing chromophoric dissolved organic matter in lagoon-estuarine systems. Science of the Total Environment, 1001, 180472. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180472

27) Maniyar, Chintan B.; Yan, Xin; Mai, Gengchen; Srivastava, Dhiraj; Samiappan, Sathishkumar; Oliazadeh, Arman; Kumar, Abhishek; Kumar, Minakshi; Mishra, Deepak R. (2025). Artificial intelligence in environmental remote sensing: Progress, way forward and key considerations. Progress in Environmental Geography, 4(3), 363-389. DOI: 10.1177/27539687251357020

26) He, Xinchen; Andreadis, Konstantinos M.; Roy, Allison H.; Langhorst, Theodore; Kumar, Abhishek; Butler, Caitlyn S. (2025). Modeling Daily Ice Cover in Northern Hemisphere Lakes With a Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network. Geophysical Research Letters, 52(12), e2024GL113544. DOI: 10.1029/2024GL113544

25) Kumar, Abhishek; Maniyar, Chintan B.; Fiorentino, Isabella R.; Mishra, Deepak R. (2025). Remote sensing of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms: Current trends and future directions. Progress in Environmental Geography, 4(1), 131-150. DOI: 10.1177/27539687251320671

24) Singh, Sambit; Raulo, Susmita; Acharyya, Tamoghna; Mishra, Deepak R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Gopinath, Anu; Muduli, Pradipta R.; Rastogi, Gurdeep. (2024). Dynamics and source characterization of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in a tropical monsoon driven lagoon. Marine Chemistry, 265-266, 104430. DOI: 10.1016/j.marchem.2024.104430

23) Veerman, Jan; Mishra, Deepak R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Karidozo, Malvern. (2024). Environmental drivers behind the exceptional increase in cyanobacterial blooms in Okavango Delta, Botswana. Harmful Algae, 137, 102677. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2024.102677

22) Kumar, Abhishek; Roy, Allison H.; Andreadis, Konstantinos M.; He, Xinchen; Butler, Caitlyn S. (2024). A Multi-Sensor Approach to Characterize Winter Water-Level Drawdown Patterns in Lakes. Remote Sensing, 16(6), 947. DOI: 10.3390/rs16060947

21) He, Xinchen; Andreadis, Konstantinos M.; Roy, Allison H.; Kumar, Abhishek; Butler, Caitlyn S. (2023). Developing a stochastic hydrological model for informing lake water level drawdown management. Journal of Environmental Management, 345, 118744. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118744

20) Tarafdar, Lipika; Mohapatra, Madhusmita; Muduli, Pradipta R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R.; Rastogi, Gurdeep. (2023). Co-occurrence patterns and environmental factors associated with rapid onset of Microcystis aeruginosa bloom in a tropical coastal lagoon. Journal of Environmental Management, 325, 116580. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116580

19) Gaiser, Evelyn E.; Kominoski, John S.; McKnight, Diane M.; Bahlai, Christie A.; Cheng, Chingwen; Record, Sydne; Wollheim, Wilfred M.; Christianson, Kyle R.; Downs, Martha R.; Hawman, Peter A.; Holbrook, Sally J.; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R.; Molotch, Noah P.; Primack, Richard B.; Rassweiler, Andrew; Schmitt, Russell J.; Sutter, Lori A. (2022). Long-term ecological research and the COVID-19 anthropause: A window to understanding social-ecological disturbance. Ecosphere, 13(4), e4019. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4019

18) Acharya, Prasannajit; Muduli, Pradipta R.; Mishra, Deepak R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Kanuri, Vishnu Vardhan; Das, Mira. (2022). Imprints of COVID-19 lockdowns on total petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Asia's largest brackish water lagoon. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 174, 113137. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113137

17) Maniyar, Chintan B.; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R. (2022). Continuous and Synoptic Assessment of Indian Inland Waters for Harmful Algae Blooms. Harmful Algae, 111, 102160. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2021.102160

16) Veerman, Jan; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R. (2022). Exceptional landscape-wide cyanobacteria bloom in Okavango Delta, Botswana in 2020 coincided with a mass elephant die-off event. Harmful Algae, 111, 102145. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2021.102145

15) Tarafdar, Lipika; Kim, Ji Yoon; Srichandan, Suchismita; Mohapatra, Madhusmita; Muduli, Pradipta R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R.; Rastogi, Gurdeep. (2021). Responses of phytoplankton community structure and association to variability in environmental drivers in a tropical coastal lagoon. Science of the Total Environment, 783, 146873. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146873

14) Muduli, Pradipta R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Kanuri, Vishnu Vardhan; Mishra, Deepak R.; Acharya, Prasannajit; Saha, R.; Biswas, M. K.; Vidyarthi, A. K.; Sudhakar, A. (2021). Water quality assessment of the Ganges River during COVID-19 lockdown. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 18(6), 1645-1652. DOI: 10.1007/s13762-021-03245-x

13) Mishra, Deepak R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Muduli, Pradipta R.; Acharyya, Tamoghna; Acharya, Prasannajit; Singh, Sambit; Rastogi, Gurdeep. (2021). Landfall season is critical to the impact of a cyclone on a monsoon-regulated tropical coastal lagoon. Science of the Total Environment, 770, 145235. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145235

12) Mishra, Deepak R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Muduli, Pradipta R.; Equeenuddin, Sk. Md.; Rastogi, Gurdeep; Acharyya, Tamoghna; Swain, Debadatta. (2020). Decline in Phytoplankton Biomass along Indian Coastal Waters due to COVID-19 Lockdown. Remote Sensing, 12(16), 2584. DOI: 10.3390/rs12162584

11) Mishra, Deepak R.; Kumar, Abhishek; Ramaswamy, Lakshmish; Boddula, Vinay K.; Das, Moumita C.; Page, Benjamin P.; Weber, Samuel J. (2020). CyanoTRACKER: A cloud-based integrated multi-platform architecture for global observation of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms. Harmful Algae, 96, 101828. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2020.101828

10) Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R.; Ilango, Nirav. (2020). Landsat 8 Virtual Orange Band for Mapping Cyanobacterial Blooms. Remote Sensing, 12(5), 868. DOI: 10.3390/rs12050868

9) Miller, Paul W.; Mote, Thomas L.; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R. (2020). Systematic precipitation redistribution following a strong hurricane landfall. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 139(3-4), 861-872. DOI: 10.1007/s00704-019-03000-w

8) Kumar, Abhishek; Cooper, Christopher; Remillard, Caren M.; Ghosh, Shuvankar; Haney, Austin; Braun, Frank; Conner, Zachary; Page, Benjamin; Boyd, Kenneth; Wilde, Susan; Mishra, Deepak R. (2019). Spatiotemporal monitoring of hydrilla [Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle] to aid management actions. Weed Technology, 33(3), 518-529. DOI: 10.1017/wet.2019.13

7) Miller, Paul W.; Kumar, Abhishek; Mote, Thomas L.; Moraes, Flávia D. S.; Mishra, Deepak R. (2019). Persistent Hydrological Consequences of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(3), 1413-1422. DOI: 10.1029/2018GL081591

6) Shrestha, Shanti; Miranda, Isabel; Kumar, Abhishek; Escobar Pardo, Maria Luisa; Dahal, Subash; Rashid, Taufiq; Remillard, Caren; Mishra, Deepak R. (2019). Identifying and forecasting potential biophysical risk areas within a tropical mangrove ecosystem using multi-sensor data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 74, 281-294. DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2018.09.017

5) Page, Benjamin P.; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R. (2018). A novel cross-satellite based assessment of the spatio-temporal development of a cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 66, 69-81. DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2017.11.003

4) Kumar, Abhishek; Stupp, Patricia; Dahal, Subash; Remillard, Caren; Bledsoe, Roger; Stone, Austin; Cameron, Christopher; Rastogi, Gurdeep; Samal, Rabindro; Mishra, Deepak R. (2017). A Multi-Sensor Approach for Assessing Mangrove Biophysical Characteristics in Coastal Odisha, India. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section A: Physical Sciences, 87(4), 679-700. DOI: 10.1007/s40010-017-0441-y

3) Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R.; Equeenuddin, Sk. Md.; Cho, Hyun Jung; Rastogi, Gurdeep. (2017). Differential Impact of Anniversary-Severe Cyclones on the Water Quality of a Tropical Coastal Lagoon. Estuaries and Coasts, 40(2), 317-342. DOI: 10.1007/s12237-016-0172-3

2) Kumar, Abhishek; Equeenuddin, Sk. Md.; Mishra, Deepak R.; Acharya, Bhaskar C. (2016). Remote monitoring of sediment dynamics in a coastal lagoon: Long-term spatio-temporal variability of suspended sediment in Chilika. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 170, 155-172. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2016.01.018

1) Srichandan, Suchismita; Kim, Ji Yoon; Kumar, Abhishek; Mishra, Deepak R.; Bhadury, Punyasloke; Muduli, Pradipta R.; Pattnaik, Ajit K.; Rastogi, Gurdeep. (2015). Interannual and cyclone-driven variability in phytoplankton communities of a tropical coastal lagoon. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 101(1), 39-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.030

Labs:
Center for Geospatial Research